Today we’d like to introduce you to Leon McKenzie.
Leon, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My name is Leon McKenzie and I was born in Ottawa, ON in Canada. My path to where I am starts with grandmother who was a seamstress that taught me the fundamentals of sewing outside of working for former Prime Minister, Pierre Trudeau. I grew up a creative and artistic Jamaican-Canadian kid in a working-class family, however, we were the first to have a computer at the house as my dad worked in IT. On weekends I was designing art and images on Microsoft Paint, withdrawing as my daily past-time. I held dreams of being the next Todd MacFarlane illustrating the pages of Spiderman, while simultaneously pursuing my passion for dancing. A lover of hip-hop culture and style since I was a youth, I was influenced by the pages of XXL, Much Music Rap City, figures like Michael Jordan, and brands like Nike, Triple 5 Soul, and Tribal.
My family moved to Dallas when I was turning 16 years old, which was a pure culture shock. After finishing high school early and completing a couple of years at a community college, I decided to pursue dance as a way to express myself and potentially build a career. In developing my own style I wanted to express the fashion of the day. I began putting together my own tees as part of the culturally influential Dallas crew, DiverseSoulz. My dance days of performing consistently started to take a toll on my body, so I shifted to expressing style and culture through hip-hop music as a way to continue creating. In an effort to fund the music-making process, and after a chance meeting with an incredible hip-hop producer from Kazakhstan, Ayan, I found myself in a creative mode one night.
I had made connections to several people in the early days of Passport Exhibit Gallery and Adikt and started to purchase items by Mishka and collecting sneakers. Streetwear was at the very beginning of customization, and snapback hats were the first to develop hype. Naturally, as a participant of the culture, I wanted to own one. I didn’t have the finances to afford one, so as usual, I got crafty. I needed something new to wear for the anniversary event at another local streetwear shop, and as I worked to customize the bill of a hat with the floral fabric I had just purchased, I had an idea. An old Chicago Bulls jersey hung next to where I was working, and I wondered if I could somehow get the fabric onto the jersey. It wasn’t anything I had seen before and thought it would be something cool that people would appreciate. I got to work, stenciling, hand-cutting, messing things up, until finally in the early hours of the next morning I created my first customized jersey.
The next morning I shared the images with a friend who was making big strides in street-fashion who adamantly advised me to not wear the item and make an effort to figure out how to create more of them. This was the beginning of MIEL Y NOIR.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
In growing the brand there have been a series of different challenges and struggles along the way. The learning curve of understanding a mountainous and trend-driven industry like fashion, albeit street-fashion, has been a grind ever since my first internships working for brands at fashion fairs Agenda, Liberty, and Project. I knew I was in the deep end and made the very best of circumstances in times where I didn’t earn much money while trying to further my knowledge, relationships, and get the brand in front of the right people.
I had created four concepts for the customized jerseys prior to this and kept them on ice, concerned that if I shared the idea with the wrong people, it would be replicated by a larger brand. A huge error in entrepreneurship, as the goal is to fail as fast as possible. In addition to this, building a fashion brand takes money to be done effectively, which I didn’t come from, and ultimately had to draft proposals for investors. In those pursuits, I ran across opportunistic people that had their own agendas and intentions for what I was creating. Another error on my part. In meeting manufacturers at MAGIC and performing as many steps as possible to create exactly what was drafted, I have had sample deposits taken without any response and $3000 orders done inaccurately.
The investment of time and finances led to my own financial instability, exacerbated when I broke my jaw in 2016. A real Kanye moment — without any of the press or money (lol!). Incidentally, after losing much of myself and possessions, creating new apparel pieces was the only motivating factor that got me through all of these obstacles. Lastly, Dallas is a fashion market with a primarily conservative footprint, meaning there isn’t much amplification of the authentic or modern culture and style. It forces brands within the city to compete locally while extending ourselves to LA and NY to receive opportunities or acclaim. With the amount of capital in Dallas and the sheer size of the city, I hope that its an obstacle that can be overcome in the years ahead.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about MIEL Y NOIR – what should we know?
MIEL Y NOIR is a small luxury streetwear brand that handcrafts limited quantity customized jerseys, hoodies, and other apparel for the daily athlete and streetwear enthusiast. The name, MIEL Y NOIR, translates to honey and black, in a mix of French and Spanish languages. A nod to the complexions that were the catalyst for hip-hop culture, we create these items to pay homage to great icons in sports and culture, while intentionally making timeless, limited-quantity items.
Each jersey and hoodie concept is crafted into small batches, utilizing select fabrics and hides. The numbers and letters are stenciled, fabrics are hand-cut and everything is affixed and pressed. It is handed to our collaborators who aid with professional game-ready stitching and embroidery. Lastly, we number each jersey and package it in a personalized branded box with your name on it.
For me, I have been proud of the alchemy that has taken place from the first jerseys. Without the financial resources that larger brands have, I’ve found ways to make each process more efficient, each concept more impactful, increasing the overall quality and presentation. Also, the relationships that have been built have endured the tests of time. Having support from good collaborators, friends and even strangers that believe in the brand has motivated me to keep creating.
And, of course, the recent memorable moments of gifting Dallas legend, Dirk Nowitzki, and future legend, Luka Doncic with the pieces that they inspired has been truly gratifying. It is these moments that allow you to believe that you can achieve what you set your heart to.
I believe what sets us apart from any brand is that we have a product that is really unlike anything you’ve ever seen, worn, or unpackaged. The concepts.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
There are many people along the way that deserve their credit for the brand making it this far. From the initial individuals that were there when it started to the customers that have no clue, they fed me for a week when I was down to pennies in my account. From Ani Vera and Travis Lilley to Hance and Leary in the initial days to Kent, Micah, Karen, Brenda, Ray, and a whole cast of people that will probably kill me when they read their name isn’t listed here. Every lesson, every person, every effort has been valuable.
I can say that some of the biggest support has come from women that have been a part of my life, as friends, work associates, relationships — without their care, wisdom, and insight I would have probably self-destructed years ago (not to say I’m not a few weeks away from that outcome anyway – lol). The entrepreneurial climb is a solo ascent filled with the anxiety of forcing your highest performance, and I’ve found that intuitive friends, mostly female, have helped my path continue. Health-wise, Tactical Therapeutics and Athletic Advantage have kept me physically capable to perform after years of dance, breaking my jaw, and stressing over sample errors and last-minute orders.
Pricing:
- The Texas Rattler Luka Doncic Customized Hoodie $277
- The Legend Dirk Nowitzki Customized Hoodie $241
- The Power University Tech Pants $77
- The Mixtape Fire Zippo Lighter $35
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.mielynoir.com
- Phone: 2146902403
- Email: leon@mielynoir.com
Image Credit:
Photos by Leon
My personal portrait is by Celisa Rae @___c_rae
The red-hued photo was done by Jeff A. Smith for Pedal Mgmt (@jeff.a.smith, @pedalmgmt)
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